Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing
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| Ploegsteert Memorial | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
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| For soldiers missing in the area during World War I | |
| Unveiled | 7 June 1931 |
| Location | near Ploegsteert, Hainaut, Belgium |
| Designed by | H Chalton Bradshaw |
The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing (also known as Hyde Park Corner[1] and referred to colloquially as "Plug Street") is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorial for the missing soldiers of World War I who fought in the immediate area of the Ypres Salient on the Western Front.
The grounds were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war.
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[edit] Foundation
The memorial stands in the middle of Berks Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery Extension, which was founded by Commonwealth troops in June 1916 as an extension to Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery which lies across the road.[2]
The memorial lists the 11,367[3] missing Commonwealth soldiers from battles in the area:[1]
The memorial was designed by H Chalton Bradshaw, who also designed the Cambrai Memorial in France.[4] It is 70' (21.3m) in diameter and 38.5' (11.7m) tall and was unveiled on 7 June 1931 by the then-Duke of Brabant,[1] later King Leopold III of Belgium.
[edit] Notable names
The memorial holds the names of three recipients of the Victoria Cross, Sapper William Hackett, Private James MacKenzie and Captain Thomas Tannatt Pryce, who have no known grave.[5]
[edit] "The Last Post"
Since 7 June 1999, the Comité du Memorial de Ploegsteert has arranged for the Last Post to be played at the memorial on the first Friday of each month.[6] This mirrors the daily playing of the Last Post at the Menin Gate in nearby Ieper.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c FirstWorldWar.com, accessed 26 May 2006
- ^ www.wo1.be, accessed 26 May 2006
- ^ ww1cemeteries.com, accessed 26 May 2006
- ^ First World War, accessed 26 May 2006
- ^ VictoriaCross.org.uk, accessed 26 May 2006
- ^ ww1plugstreet.org, accessed 26 May 2006
